Passenger vehicles generally include a compartment or dome light which is illuminated when the vehicle door is opened and extinguished when the vehicle door is closed. A manual switch within the vehicle can illuminate the compartment or dome light when the vehicle door is closed. Recently, it has become somewhat common practice to provide a time delay feature for the dome light. As the door is closed, the dome light, which may include more than one simultaneously operated lights, remains on for a preselected time. At first, these time delay devices employed relay or other mechanical contact circuits which required periodic maintenance and had to be replaced in some instances due to corrosion of the contacts and other deteriorating conditions. Since these systems control the dome light or lights, their deterioration often involves incapacitating the dome light itself which can be annoying and defeats the purpose of the time delay feature. To overcome the disadvantages of relay systems for controlling the time delay of the compartment or dome light operation, solid state timing circuits have been developed. These solid state timing circuits have often involved only a conversion of the basic relay circuitry into solid state components. Such systems have been used successfully; however, there is always a need from both a sales standpoint and a safety and convenience standpoint to provide improved circuitry for controlling the compartment or dome light or lights in a manner more concomitant with the actual needs of a passenger operating the vehicle.